Cisco has appointed David Meads as vice president for its Middle East and Africa (MEA) operations.

The company says Meads will oversee the execution of its strategy in these two regions, ensuring that the company maintains its momentum at the forefront of digital transformation efforts.

Edwin Paalvast, president of Cisco Europe, Middle East and Africa says Meads' appointment comes at a time of tremendous potential for the MEA region to reap the benefits of digital transformation, "supported by the prioritisation of digitisation in both government and business agendas."

Meads will be based in Dubai, Cisco's hub for the Middle East.

The company says it has longstanding government partnerships across the Middle East and Africa, including a Country Digitisation Acceleration program with Saudi Arabia.

In addition, Cisco says it is working closely with relevant government entities in the region on multiple initiatives that support IT skills training and education, as well as the development of entrepreneurship, business and innovation ecosystems.

"As we deepen the commitment to the region, we're excited to have someone of David's calibre at the helm to spearhead our strategy and support customers along their digitisation journey. One of David's priorities will be helping Cisco's customers and partners create value in a highly connected, digital world, while enabling greater responsiveness to emerging market and customer needs," says Paalvast.

"I look forward to taking on the additional responsibility of a fast-evolving, dynamic region and to working with the phenomenal team we have in place," says Meads who adds that the Middle East and Africa region has the world's youngest demographic and presents a significant market opportunity.

According to Meads' LinkedIn profile, he has more than 30 years of experience in the IT industry. He joined the company in 1996 and was most recently Cisco's Vice President for Africa, where he was responsible for partnering with organisations across the continent to help them implement strategies.

He has held various leadership positions within Cisco, including a three-year stint as managing director for South Africa, based in Johannesburg. "During this time, he achieved exceptional levels of employee engagement within the organisation and helped the country develop its e-skills initiative, aimed at harnessing the power of technology for inclusive socio-economic development."